The rights and obligations of Finnish citizens

Finnish citizenship entails a number of rights and obligations that do not apply to foreigners living in Finland.

Rights

The right to obtain a Finnish passport

The right to arrive in Finland and refuse extradition to another country

The right to vote in presidential elections, parliamentary elections and referenda if the person is 18 or older

The right to stand in parliamentary elections if the person is 18 or older

The opportunity to be appointed to state positions that require Finnish citizenship

The rights of EU citizens, such as the right to freely travel and work within the EU and the right to vote and stand in EU elections

Obligations

The obligation to participate in national defence or assist in the cause. Compulsory conscription (asevelvollisuus) applies to all men over 18 years of age.

The responsibility to observe Finnish laws even when outside Finland. A Finnish citizen can be convicted in Finland for an offence committed abroad.

Please note that these are rights and responsibilities related to Finnish citizenship. Information on rights and obligations that apply to all Finnish residents is available on the Infopankki page Your rights and obligations in Finland.

First, select an area. Once you have selected an area, you will get a link to the Infopankki pages of the area you selected.

When you browse various topics on the website, a link to a similar topic on the pages of the area you selected will appear in this menu.

You can also delete or change your area selection.

If you are an employee, entrepreneur, student, returnee, refugee, asylum seeker or family member of a person living in Finland, you will find information particularly suited to your situation in life on these Infopankki webpages. From these webpage, you will find the information you need quickly and in a concise form.